Ohio troopers transporting N95 masks to be sanitized in Columbus

MEDINA, Ohio — With personal protective equipment in short supply, Ohio has started sanitizing N95 masks in an effort to get repeated use.

But how are those masks getting from the hospitals to the sanitizing facility in Columbus?

Troopers with the Ohio State Highway Patrol have stepped up to help transport masks in need of decontamination.

“We’re going to be doing this for as long as we’re needed,” Sgt. Ray Santiago tells 3News. “Just like everyone else during these times, we’re just trying to pitch in. We’re literally all in this together.”

The masks are being sanitized at Battelle, a Columbus-based company that has the capability of cleaning thousands of masks each day.

Once the masks are sanitized, they are returned to the patrol post where they were originally taken.

Meanwhile, Sgt. Santiago extended a big thank you to all Ohio residents.

“We’d like to thank everyone for following those guidelines and those recommendations, especially as it pertains to limiting their travel to essential trips only. That’s provided us the opportunity to get out into the communities and assist in additional ways. It’s limited folks to unnecessary exposures. Continue to follow those guidelines and recommendations and to follow and obey the traffic laws so that we don’t have to respond to crashes or additional calls for service that are unnecessary exposures.”